The present invention relates to a disposable bowl adapted to be employed for preparing ready-for-use food and to contain an amount of food constituting a normally daily, substantially complete and balanced ration for a pet such as a dog or a cat
Many types of disposable bowls are known.
In particular, a bowl is known, which comprises a substantially flat bottom portion extending upwardly and outwardly with at least a first skirt portion including at least one upper ring-shaped edge portion adapted to accommodate a removable capping for closing the bowl and protecting said food.
However, the known bowls have a shape that do not allow an animal to consume the food contained in said bowl directly therefrom, which requires said food to be carried in another container whose shape is better suited to the morphology of the animal in question.
This food transfer from the disposable bowl to a pan in which the animal can eat is disliked by users who have to manipulate the food, the disposable bowl and the pan, and must then dispose of the bowl after the food has been transferred and clean the pan after said food has been consumed by the animal.
It is an object of the present invention to remedy the drawbacks of known bowls and to provide a bowl of the above-mentioned type, which is shaped so as to allow the animal to consume directly and immediately from said bowl, as soon as the capping has been opened, the food contained therein, wherein the bowl can be disposed of after said food has been consumed by the animal.
According to the present invention, a bowl of the above-mentioned type is characterized in that the first skirt portion has an outward extension in a form of a substantially smooth upper circumferential edge, said upper edge itself having an extension in the form of a second skirt portion extending downwardly and outwardly to the lower circumferential edge, and in that:
the bottom portion has on its lower face an adhesive member attached to said lower face and which has its adhesive free face coated with a peelable protective film;
the bowl is shaped in such a way that, when the lower circumferential edge is in contact with a substantially flat floor, said free face of the adhesive member is also in contact with said floor substantially over its entire surface area;
the ratio of the average inner diameter of the first skirt portion to the inner height of the bowl is at least about 3, advantageously ranges from about 3.5 to about 7.5, and preferably, from 4 to 6.
The tests carried out by the applicant have shown that the bowl according to the present invention, which is stable, strongly adheres to the floor through the adhesive member it comprises, and is adapted to the animal""s morphology through its high ratio of the average inner diameter of the first skirt portion to the inner height of the upper edge, is perfectly suited to allow the animal to eat the food contained therein directly from said bowl.
In particular, the large diameter and the small height allow the animal to seize the pieces contained in the bowl laterally between its teeth.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the ready-for-use dish according to the present invention containing a quantity of food constituting a normally daily, substantially complete and balanced, ration for a pet such as a dog or a cat, is characterized in that it comprises a bowl according to the first embodiment of the invention, wherein said bowl is closed by a removable capping and contains said substantially complete and balanced ration.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying non-limiting drawings, wherein: